Whitehall to broker 4G accord

Minister pledges early start to super-fast mobile if operators make peace

BRITAIN’s phone companies will hold government-brokered peace talks this week
aimed at ending years of squabbling over super-fast mobile broadband.

Maria Miller, the new culture secretary, has called in the heads of the four
big operators to put a stop to the litigation that has left Britain lagging
behind in the rollout of fourth-generation (4G) networks. This will allow
lightning-quick web-browsing and downloads for smartphone and tablet
computer users.

In return for an end to the legal wrangling, she will offer to bring forward
an auction of prime spectrum suitable for 4G services, currently scheduled
for the end of the year. The meeting on Tuesday will be attended by Ed
Richards, chief executive of Ofcom, the industry regulator.

At stake is the future of Britain’s digital economy. The proliferation of
smartphones and